1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the use of a combination of at least one quinone alkide and at least one nitroxyl compound to inhibit the polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers.
2. Description of Related Art
Many ethylenically unsaturated monomers undesirably polymerize at various stages of their manufacture, processing, handling, storage, and use. A particularly troublesome problem is equipment fouling caused by polymerization in the purification stages of the production processes of such monomers. Polymerization, such as thermal polymerization, during their purification results in the loss of the monomer and a loss in production efficiency owing to the deposition of polymer in or on the equipment being used in the purification, the deposits of which must be removed from time to time. Additionally, the formation of soluble polymer leads to loss of monomer, i.e., a lower yield, and an increase in the viscosity of any tars that may be produced. The processing of the tars then requires higher temperature and work (energy cost) to remove residual monomer.
A wide variety of compounds has been proposed and used for inhibiting uncontrolled and undesired polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers. In particulars there is a need for an inhibitor that not only provides highly effective inhibition of polymerization during normal operation of a continuous manufacturing or purification process, but also provides satisfactory protection in the event of a loss of continuous inhibitor feed. While many inhibitors are known to provide sufficient protection in one of these scenarios, these inhibitors have not been fully satisfactory under both normal and upset operating conditions. Accordingly, there has been a substantial need in the art for improved compositions for inhibiting the polymerization of such monomers during their production and the distillation process for purifying or separating them from impurities, as well as during transport and storage.
Quinone methides and nitroxyl compounds are known polymerization inhibitors.
Quinone methides act mainly as retarders, giving a significant amount of polymer during normal inhibition usage, but providing protection in the event of a plant upset during monomer purification by slowing the rate of polymer formation under static conditions. Because of the poor normal inhibition performance, quinone methides must be used in fairly high dosages, making them not very economical to use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,003,800 and 4,040,911 disclose the use of quinone alkides in a styrene purification process.
The following patents, assigned to Ciba-Geigy Corporation or Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation, relate to quinone methides and uses thereof.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,583,247; 5,670,692; and 5,750,765 disclose the protection of ethylenically unsaturated monomers from premature polymerization during manufacture and storage by the incorporation therein of an effective stabilizing amount of a quinone methide compound having an electron withdrawing substituent at the 7-methylene group.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,774 discloses the protection of ethylenically unsaturated monomers from premature polymerization during manufacture and storage by the incorporation therein of an effective stabilizing amount of a 7-aryl quinone methide compound wherein the 7-aryl substituent is 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl, 2- or 3-thienyl, 2- or 3-pyrryl, 2- or 3-furyl, aryl of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, or said aryl substituted by one to three alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, alkylthio of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, alkylamino of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, dialkylamino of 2 to 8 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 8 carbon atoms, hydroxy, nitro, amino, cyano, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, chloro, or mixtures of said substituents. The combination of these quinone methides with at least one stable nitroxyl compound is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,106 discloses a method of improving the quality and resolution of photoimages by incorporating into the photocurable resin composition to be used a selected amount of a polymerization inhibitor so that photopolymerization of the photocurable resin is inhibited in those areas not directly impinged by light. Inhibitors that can be used are selected from the group consisting of N-oxyl or nitroxide compounds, quinone methides, nitroso compounds phenothiazine and selected phenols.
Hindered nitroxyl compounds are known to be very active inhibitors of free radical polymerizations of unsaturated monomers such as styrene, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,677 discloses N,N,O-trisubstituted hydroxylamines and N,N-disubstituted nitroxides of the formulae:
wherein R1, R2, and R3 are each an alkyl radical having 1 to 15 carbon atoms. (As used herein, the designation N—O* denotes a stable free radical wherein the asterisk is an unpaired electron.) The N,N,O-trisubstituted hydroxylamines can be used to make the N,N-disubstituted nitroxides, which are stable free radicals and are said to be useful as polymerization inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,103 discloses that nitroxides can be prepared from the corresponding heterocyclic amine wherein the nitrogen atom of the nitroxide group is attached to other than a tertiary carbon of an aliphatic group (i.e., the nitrogen atom forms a part of a heterocyclic nucleus). These nitroxides are said to have useful properties similar to those described for the N,N-disubstituted nitroxides of U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,677.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,182 discloses that a great variety of N,N-disubstituted, stable, free radical nitroxides not otherwise readily available can be prepared by a simple and convenient process that comprises pyrolyzing in an inert reaction medium virtually any hydroxylamine that is susceptible to cleavage of the O—C bond, e.g., tri-t-butylhydroxylamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,144 discloses stable, free radical nitroxides of the formula:
wherein R is selected from the group consisting of tertiary alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, haloaryl, carboxyaryl, alkoxyaryl, alkylthioaryl, pyridyl, and dialkylaminoaryl, and R′ is tertiary alkyl. These nitroxides are said to be useful as traps for reactive free radicals both in the counting of free radicals and for inhibiting oxidation and free radical polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,930 discloses free radicals of the nitroxide type for use as initiators of free radical reactions, collectors of free radicals, polymerization inhibitors or antioxidants. They are constituted by nitrogenous bicyclic compounds in which one of the bridges comprises solely the nitroxide radical group and, in particular, by aza-9-bicyclo (3,3,1) nonanone-3-oxyl-9, and by aza-9-bicyclo (3,3,1) nonane oxyl-9.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,564 discloses compounds and a method for assaying enzymes by adding to a medium containing an enzyme a stable free radical compound having a stable free radical functionality which, when subjected to an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, changes the environment of the free radical functionality. By following the change in the electron spin resonance spectrum as affected by the change in environment, the type of enzyme and the activity of the enzyme can be determined.
The compounds found useful are normally stable nitroxide radicals with an enzyme labile functionality. Other compounds include two cyclic nitroxide containing rings joined by a chain having an enzyme labile functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,711 teaches that 2,2,7,7-tetraalkyl- and 2,7-dispiroalkylene-5-oxo-1,4-diazacycloheptanes substituted in the 4-position by mono- or tetravalent radicals are powerful light-stabilizers for organic polymers. They are said to possess higher compatibility than their 4-unsubstituted homologues, from which they can be synthesized by reactions known for N-alkylation. Preferred substituents in the 4-position are alkyl, alkylene, alkenyl, aralkyl, and esteralkyl groups, The 1-nitroxyls derived from the imidazolidines by oxidation with hydrogen peroxide or percarboxylic acids are also said to be good light stabilizers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,658 discloses a method for preventing the polymerization of a readily polymerizable vinyl aromatic compound during distillation at elevated temperatures within a distillation apparatus that is subject to an emergency condition, such as a power outage. This method comprises force-feeding a supplemental polymerization inhibitor having a high solubility in the vinyl aromatic compound and a long duration of efficiency into each of the distillation vessels of a conventional distillation apparatus in an amount sufficient to prevent polymerization therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,185 discloses a process for the efficient preparation of nitroxyls of sterically hindered amines by the oxidation of the amine using a hydroperoxide in the presence of a small amount of a metal ion catalyst, at moderate temperature for a short period of time, to give the nitroxyl in high yield and purity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,374 discloses a vinyl aromatic composition stabilized against polymerization comprising (a) a vinyl aromatic compound and (b) an effective amount of a stabilizer system in which the active ingredient consists essentially of an oxygenated species formed by the reaction of oxygen and an N-aryl-N′-alkyl-p-phenylenediamine. Also disclosed is a process for inhibiting the polymerization of vinyl aromatic compounds employing such an oxygenated species.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,760 teaches that the polymerization of a vinyl aromatic compound, such as styrene, is very effectively inhibited during distillation or purification by the presence of at least one stable nitroxyl compound together with at least one aromatic nitro compound.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,782 and 5,545,786 disclose that nitroxyl inhibitors in combination with some oxygen reduce the premature polymerization of vinyl aromatic monomers during the manufacturing processes for such monomers. Even small quantities of air used in combination with the nitroxyl inhibitors are said to result in vastly prolonged inhibition times for the monomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,767 discloses that the use of nitroxide compounds alone or in combination with aromatic amines, such as substituted phenylenediamines, or phenolic antioxidants provides an effective way to prevent oxidative degradation and gum formation in gasolines.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,071 discloses that the polymerization of vinyl aromatic monomers such as styrene is inhibited by the addition of a composition of a stable hindered nitroxyl radical and an oxime compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,232 teaches that inhibition performance in styrene processing is improved through the addition of a stable nitroxide free radical compound to the styrene feed and to the reflux of at least one column. A non-toxic retarder, such as phenylenediamine, may also optionally be added to the styrene feed and to the reflux.
European Patent Application 0 178 168 A2 discloses a method for inhibiting the polymerization of an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acid during its recovery by distillation by using a nitroxide free radical.
European Patent Application 0 765 856 A1 discloses a stabilized acrylic acid composition in which the polymerization of the acrylic acid is inhibited during the distillation process for purifying or separating the acrylic acid as well as during transport and storage. The compositions comprise three components: (a) acrylic acid, (b) a stable nitroxyl radical, and (c) a dihetero-substituted benzene compound having at least one transferable hydrogen (e.g., a quinone derivative such as the monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ)). During the distillation process, transport, and storage, components (b) and (c) are present in a polymerization-inhibiting amount. During the distillation process, oxygen (d) is preferably added with components (b) and (c).
WO 97/46504 concerns substance mixtures containing: (A) monomers containing vinyl groups, and (B) an active amount of a mixture which inhibits premature polymerization of the monomers containing vinyl groups during their purification or distillation and contains: (i) between 0.05 and 4.5 wt %, relative to the total mixture (B), of at least one N-oxyl compound of a secondary amine which has no hydrogen atom at the α-C atoms; and (ii) between 99.95 and 95.5 wt % relative to the total mixture (B), of at least one nitro compound. The publication also discloses a process for inhibiting the premature polymerization of monomers, and the use of mixture (B) for inhibiting the premature polymerizatin of monomers.
WO 98/14416 discloses that the polymerization of vinyl aromatic monomers such as styrene is inhibited by the addition of a composition of a stable hindered nitroxyl radical and an oxime compound.
WO 98/25872 concerns substance mixtures containing: (A) compounds containing vinyl groups; (B) an active amount of a mixture which inhibits premature polymerization of the compounds containing vinyl groups and contains: (i) at least one N-oxyl compound of a secondary amine which does not carry any hydrogen atoms on the α-carbon atoms; and (ii) at least one iron compound; (C) optionally nitro compounds; and (D) optionally co-stabilizers. The publication also discloses a process for inhibiting the premature polymerization of compounds (A) containing vinyl groups, and the use of (B) optionally mixed with nitro compounds (C) and/or co-stabilizers (D) for inhibiting the premature polymerization of radically polymerizable compounds and stabilizing organic materials against the harmful effect of radicals.
WO 99/20584 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,643) discloses that polymerization can be inhibited during the anaerobic production of styrene through the addition of a combination of a stable nitroxide free radical compound and a non-toxic phenylenediamine compound.
U.K. Patent Number 1,127,127 discloses that acrylic acid can be stabilized against polymerization by the addition thereto of a nitroxide having the essential skeletal structure:
wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are alkyl groups and no hydrogen is bound to the remaining valencies on the carbon atoms bound to the nitrogen. The two remaining valencies that are not satisfied by R1 to R4 or nitrogen can also form part of a ring (e.g., 2,2,6,6 tetramethyl-4-hydroxy-piperidine-1-oxyl).
CS-260755 B1 is directed to the preparation of 4-substituted-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine nitroxyls as olefin stabilizers.
SU-334845 A1 is directed to the inhibition of the radical polymerization of oligoester acrylates using iminoxyl radical inhibitors of a given formula.
SU-478838 is directed to the inhibition of the radical polymerization of oligoester acrylates and the prevention of oligomeric peroxides using a binary polymerization inhibitor comprising quinone.
FR 2,761,060 relates to the prevention of premature polymerization of styrene during its production by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene by injecting into the process effluent a radical inhibitor based on an oxyl-tetramethylpiperidine derivative.
The disclosures of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.